Bathtub construction



NOV. 13, 1934. POTTER BATHTUB CONSTRUCTION Filed May 29, 1935 Patented Nov. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in bathtub construction and has particular reference to a unique arrangement of a soap dish and and hand-rail provided in the bathtub.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means whereby the occupant of a bathtub has the soap holder conveniently located and at the same time the location of this soap holder permits the forming of a hand-rail, which the occupant may grasp when desired.

A further object is to produce a device which may be embodied into the ordinary bathtub without materially altering its construction.

Another object is to produce a construction that is neat in appearance, ornamental, and one which may be readily cleaned.

A still further object is to produce a device which may be incorporated in the bathtub, without increasing the cost thereof.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a bathtub as the same would appear when looking from the wall side,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail View showing the soap dish and rail in side elevation,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan View with a portion broken away.

Due to the fact that there is generally no conveniently located hand-rail, which may be grasped by an occupant of a bathtub to assist in raising the user in the tub, many serious accidents have been occasioned by a person falling during the act of entering or leaving the tub. It is also a fact that in many bathtubs, the same are provided with soap holders, either hung to the rim of the tub or positioned on the wall adjacent the tub. Applicant has devised means whereby the soap holder and a hand-rail may be incorporated into the rim of the tub so that both de- 0 vices forming a convenient and useful part of the tub, are readily accessible to the occupant.

In the accompanying drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates an ordinary bathtub and the numeral 6 the customary rim. I'propose to form a depression in the rim, which depression has a vertical back and end walls '7, 8 and 10, and a sloping bottom 9. An upstanding ledge 11 serves to 2- tain a cake of soap'mwbotifim 9, but due to th 'fact that'thisledge is of less length than the length of the recess, any moisture may drain from the soap and pass around the ends of the ledge as at 12 and 13. A hand-rail 14 extends between the ends of the recess and has its outer surface fiush with the surface of the bathtub.

It will thus be seen that I have produced a device which will perform all the objects above set forth.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a device of the character described, the combination with a bathtub, having a rim portion, said rim portion having a depression formed therein, said depression being bound by a vertical back wall, a slanting bottom wall and end Walls, and a hand rail extending between said end walls and formed integral with said tub.

PAUL L. POTTER. 

